Mobile communications devices such as cell phones are becoming more popular due in part to the capabilities being added to such devices. Far from being simple voice communications tools, modern cell phones and related devices have become versatile digital communications and data processing tools. These devices form an important niche in the growing field of personal digital communications.
One factor that is expected to increase the popularity of mobile devices is the development of third generation (3G) technologies. The designation 3G refers to a collection of standards and technologies that can be used in the near future to enhance performance and increase data speed on cell phone networks. In particular, 3G is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) specification for the third generation of mobile communications technology. A 3G cell phone would, in theory, be compatible with the 3G languages or standards that support enhanced data speeds.
The 3G infrastructure aims to provide packet-switched data to a handheld terminal with data bandwidth measured in hundreds of Kbits/sec. It is intended that 3G will work over wireless air interfaces such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA), and the Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) based General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). The latter interface is included in the Enhanced Data for GSM, Environment (EDGE) air interface that has been developed specifically to meet the bandwidth needs of 3G cell phones. One advantage of 3G networks is that they may allow connectivity with public Internet and with private Internet Service providers. Moreover, 3G networks have inter-networking functions compatible with Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) that will allow devices with WLAN cards to connect to 3G infrastructure and access mobile specific services.
Future 3G devices may include features that allow communication with other consumer electronics devices. For example, a standard known as Universal Plug and Play™ (UPnP) provides a way for disparate processing devices to exchange data. The UPnP standard defines an architecture for peer-to-peer network connectivity utilizing a wide variety of electronic devices. The UPnP standard includes standards for service discovery, and is mainly targeted for proximity or ad hoc networks.
Various contributors publish UPnP device and service descriptions, thus creating a way to easily connect devices and simplifying the implementation of networks. UPnP is designed to work in many environments, including the home, businesses, public spaces, and on devices attached to the Internet. The UPnP standard is an open architecture that leverages Web technologies and is designed to provide ad-hoc networking and distributed computing.
The UPnP model is designed to support zero-configuration networking and automatic discovery for a wide variety of device categories. This allows a device to dynamically join a network, obtain an IP address, convey its capabilities, and learn about the presence and capabilities of other devices. Other Internet protocols such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name Service (DNS) may optionally included in a UPnP network, although they are not required. A device can leave a UPnP network smoothly and automatically without leaving any unwanted state behind.
The UPnP architecture includes mechanisms for discovery of devices on the network and mechanisms for describing capabilities of those devices. The UPnP discovery protocol allows a device to advertise its services to control points on the network utilizing multicast messages. Multicasting refers to a sending a single copy of data to multiple recipients on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. Devices can multicast one or more service announcement messages. Each message describes an embedded device and/or service available from the message's originator. Other devices on the network listen on the multicast address for these service announcement messages. This information can be used to by the devices to utilize UPnP services.
It is the goal of UPnP to allow home electronics to be able to interact in order to further improve the usefulness of such electronics. Since a 3G communications device also has advanced data processing abilities, it is possible for such 3G devices to communicate via UPnP networks. Technology advances will soon produce extremely 3G portable devices that include high-speed data connectivity and advanced data processing. This will make such devices indispensable, both in and away from the user's homes. However, to more effectively allow these devices to communicate in non-mobile environments such as UPnP, adaptations to both the devices and the UPnP architecture may be desirable.